Staff Writer
Spring is just two weeks away, but the beginning of March starts another season at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. From March through May, it’s “busy season.”
Tony Vecchio looks forward to it.
Vecchio joined the Jacksonville Zoo as executive director eight months ago, arriving after last year’s busy season. Those three months often determine how well the zoo does financially for the year.
The Pittsburgh native has worked at zoos across the country, including in Oregon, Rhode Island and Georgia, but he’s learned that the patterns here differ from other areas.
“It’s very different here,” said Vecchio. “Other zoos, everything is geared toward summer ... Here, it’s spring and fall.”
The spring attraction season begins today with the public opening of Tuxedo Coast, its Magellanic penguin display. The 12,000-gallon tank and display will allow the eight penguins to dive and fish in a comfortable environment.
Close to 5,000 zoo members turned out for a sneak peek at the attraction Sunday and its that type of positive response Vecchio hopes will continue. “I’m really excited about the penguins,” he said, smiling. “I love penguins ... People do, too, and I think they’re going to be very eager to see them.”
Vecchio is an animal lover who now runs the business aspect of the zoo instead of being hands-on in dens and cages. He makes time at least once a week to ride his bike around the zoo to check on the exhibits.
Vecchio spends much of his time talking about the zoo to community groups, schools and civic organizations. “Anyone who will listen to me,” he said.
While he enjoys answering questions from adults, he learns a lot while speaking with children.
“The kids at that age love animals,” he said. “They have so many resources now and watch all the shows ... I have more intelligent conversations with them and they always try to stump me on things.”
He’s learned that people tend to fall into two camps when it comes to the zoo, those who are avidly behind it and those who haven’t visited in awhile. He is trying to woo those who haven’t made the trip lately.
“That’s the big challenge,” he said, “and it’s a new role for me.”
Drawing people through the gate is a personal challenge for Vecchio, who wants to soundly beat last year’s attendance mark of more than 90,000. His goal is the 117,000 mark set in 2004 when the “Range of the Jaguar” exhibit opened.
Inclement weather is a large factor in attendance, but a down economy doesn’t affect financial figures as much as might be expected.
“We’re doing okay,” said Vecchio. “It’s not unusual for a zoo to do well in a bad economy. People don’t travel as much and tend to stay closer to home and take advantage of local entertainment.”
Annual exhibits are a crucial element of the zoo’s annual business. While he believes the penguins, sharks and stingrays on this year’s docket will appeal to the masses, next year’s annual exhibit will be a blast from Vecchio’s past — and not contain a single live animal.
“Dinosaurs,” he, said with a grin.
Vecchio and staff will use Texas-based Billings Productions to create life-size robotic dinosaurs and create a “Dino Trail” that will feature the creatures in an outdoor environment. Vecchio has accomplished the feat at zoos in Rhode Island and Oregon. The skeptics became believers. “People initially thought ‘dinosaurs? What’s that have to do with the zoo?’,” he said. “But people loved it and it was hugely successful. It received so much attention that the next year it wasn’t a problem.”
Vecchio said he was “not the least bit worried about its success here.”
He also will be focusing his attention and energy on growing the zoo’s program of volunteers. “They’re very committed, but the number needs to be in the hundreds, not the teens,” he said.
He also wants to grow membership, which is around 17,000, during his tenure at the zoo. As he completes his first year, he is making plans for his next decade at the zoo, but not far beyond.
“I can see myself here another 10 years,” he said. “but I’ve been doing this a while. I want to want to make it my last zoo stop.”
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